A spokesperson of Pro NPP vigilante group, Invincible Forces, Ali Suraj has disclosed the group’s willingness to put an end their activities as a vigilante force.
He explained that this, however, will only be possible should the party leadership and the members of the group engage and give them their consent to dissolve the group.
He wholeheartedly embraced the idea put forward by the President while delivering the State of the Nation Address and expressed optimism that the position taken by President Akufo-Addo will result in all parties disbanding their groups.
Speaking an interview on an Accra-based radio station, the invincible force’s spokesperson asserted in ‘pidgin’, “when the president said that they are going to band vigilante groups, I agreed with him. I agreed with him that all vigilante groups should be disbanded”.
He was confident that it is possible to disband these groups contrary to fears expressed by many that it will be extremely difficult to disband the groups.
“It is possible,” he said but conceded their group hasn’t been disbanded yet explaining that “we will call our leaders to sit down with them and tell them about what the President said and that we agree with him.”
Recounting how his group like many other vigilante groups started, the spokesperson detailed that the genesis was to protect the ballots and interest of their affiliated political parties.
He said as a polling station executive, it is his duty to ensure the safety of all the people who work for him during, before and after the conduct of elections adding that he is willing to protect them should anyone attempt to harm them.
Ali Suraj stressed that it was on the basis of providing security that the groups were formed but was quick to add that their decision to provide security was not an order from the leadership of the party, it was their own way of contributing to the fortunes of the party.
“I am a Polling Station Chairman, Tumu Zongo before the election that brought Kufuor in as President. When they said we should be vigilante at the polling stations, I became more vigilante at the polling station” he narrated.
“I am a polling agent so I observe what is going on with the ballots and pink sheets. So anyone who is there with me if anyone tries to intimidate you, I will not allow the person. If I agree to it, I am a fool, I will not agree to that, I won’t allow it once I am standing there protecting you. No one can come and slap you and I will let the person to go. No!” Ali Suraj notes.
“We do it because we like the party. When the party big men come they interact with us and this motivates us to continue,” he revealed.
”I want to use this platform of this message to make a sincere passionate appeal to the leaders of the two main political parties in our country NPP and NDC to come together as soon as possible, preferably next week to agree on appropriate measures to bring an end to this unacceptable phenomenon of vigilantism in our body of politics,” Akufo-Addo stated.
He added, ”I have asked the leadership of the NPP to extend an invitation to the leaders of the NDC for such a meeting, the security services of the country will be on standby to assist this meeting. If political disbandment by the parties is not feasible then I will initiate legislation in the matter”.
Both parties, NPP and NDC, have expressed willingness to dialogue and find lasting solution to the canker of vigilantism.
By: Jonah Eledi/awakenewsonline.com
